The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-07-22

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WESTCHEsTER COUNTY. adhering to the
crown on one side and the colonies on the
other. On the southeast every inlet from
Hellgate and the approaches to the Sound has
its own tradition of the landing of British and
Hessians, and skirmish between them and
the militia, while down the center of the
county runs the classic Bronx, on which is
the capital Of the county, White Plains a
lovely suburban town, which gives name to
that series OF skirmishes, panics, rushes, adj
vances and retreats that made the region
lively and made history rapidly in brown Oc-
tober, Ill years ago.
***
Westchester county is shaped about like the
hind leg of Percheron- Norman horse, with
a slight modification like that of broken
backed salamander; on the west the bends of
the Hudson preserve the Hogarthian lines of
beauty fairly well, and on the southeast the
ragged outlines of bay and sound are almost
symmetrical; but where the line is man
made it is badly marred; for the triangular
boundary between county and state on one
side and Connecticut on the other there is
but one explanation-when the colonial sur
veyors did the job, the brush was very thick
and rum was very cheap. Hence that amaz-
ing double 2 in the interstate boundary,
which runs south, southeast, west-southwest
and then southeast again, from the northeast
corner of Westchester to Portchester on the
sound. All this, however, has nothing to do
with the battle field where have just spent
delightful day, with journalistic compan-
ion who kindly accompanies me in strange
places as guide, philosopher and friend. TAX
ing the New York and Harlem division of the
New York Central railroad. at the Grand
depot on Forty y-second street in New York, we
whizzed through the suburbs for tairty-eight
minutes and detrained mot debarked) at
White Plains, twenty three miles from the
ho""t ~ t"a r;t-- We struck i. lust at the
right time, for there had been revival OF
interest in revolutionary "reminiscences,
caused by the unearthing of shell in
an excavation near the depot. The shell
had not exploded and the powder could
still be seen; but the neck had corroded
and the thing was harmless. Not long ago
Harry Dykeman, son of the venerable Judge
Dykeman, found one of the abandoned
American cannon where it had been con-
cealed just before the retreat, its position
when found being two feet under the surface;
so one mortar, two cannons and she'll have
been found within few years, besides the
three skeletons unearthed from the gravel of
Charleston's Hill when the new road was con-
structed. The last discovered cannon now
has gorgeous setting; an evergreen square
in front of the Dykeman mansion incloses it,
as If it marked the tomb Of q loved one gone
while all around are such lovely trees, such
smooth green swards, that one is almost per-
suaded the whole history is myth and there
are no such things as war and wanton killing
in so lovely world. But when we go east
ward from the town we find indications of
wealth and luxury that would have amazed
Washington if he could have imagined what
this ground would show in another century.
Westward from White Plains is the noted
Bronx, stream a rod wide and six inches
deep during the June rise. Just west of it
beautiful winding turnpike passes over Chat
terton Hill, were the only regular battle took
place. On the 9th of October, 1776, Colonel
Haslett, with 1000 men, fortified the hill;
next morning early Colonel McDougal and
Alexander Hamilton, the latter with two
pieces Of artillery, joined him there, and at
10 a. m the British and Hessians, with at
least IL 600 men, moved to the attack. In
the direct assault they were repulsed with
heavy losses. They moved westward and
flanked the Americans right, driving the lat
ter from the hill after short but spirited ell
gagement. Washington soon concentrated
his scattered forces little farther north, and
after some skirmish ng retreated slowly, and
ON the 18th of November the main army
crossed into New Jersey, leaving the New
defend the highlands. <
Three miles eastward, on the summit of the
ridge, stands like a mountain of misfortune
Al ~ %ho 1ofo
Externally there is little beauty in this vast
pile of gray stone; but in two hours exami-
nation of the interior, under the guidance of
the superintendent, we were delighted by the
suites of rooms, elegantly finished in oak,
cherry, walnut rosewood and mahogany.
#*x
The recent death of Benjamin Holiday,
by the way, ends history more romantic
than the novelist usually portrays. The
rise of this man from day laborer and
small farmer to millionaire magnate, his
career of power in the far west. his connec-
ton with the great enterprises of 1S50-70, his
subsequent failure and the prosecution of his
great claim against the government go to
make up q career impossible in any other
country than the United States. A native of
western New York, Ben Holiday removed In
early manhood to western Missouri, where he
passed through the hardships and vicissitudes
of a pioneer life; there his two daughters, OF
whom one bet anne a countess and the other a
baroness, passed some years of their youth in
O log cabin, obtaining their early educa-
tion in the ludest of backwoods school
houses Mr.. Holiday, in the meantime,
however, acquired some property in live
stock and the freighting made necessary by
the California emigration gave him his
opportunity, In 1867 the "B. Y. Express"
was established by the Mormons, the initial
letters being for Brigham Young, who was
tho nrime mover In the enterprise; but the
Mormon war of 1878 ruined the company.
The United States authorities refused the
mail TRANSPORTATION to the Mormon company,
md gave their patronage to Ben Holiday anu
his partners. Thereafter bis rise was rapid anu
his success apparently complete. aBen Hoiii-
day,s overland stages and aBen Holidays
li,,u of steamers" !" from Portland. Ore, to San
Francisco. were titles of note in those days
lie was looked upon as the "Jay Gould OF The
nlainsn-a great organizer of transportation
facilities. His wealth was popularity esti-
mated at several millions He established
sort Of social and political headquarters al
Washington to look after his verious schemes,
10 which the government was party, IN IT,.
line of subsidies for mail transportation
There one of his daughters married the Couiif
de Pourtales OF the French American legation